CCTO: P1K fine awaits PUV drivers caught overloading their vehicles

The Cebu City Transportation Office has warned drivers of passenger utility vehicles not to overload their vehicles or they would be fined with P1,000 when caught. | Mae Fhel Gom-os

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Drivers of passenger jeepneys and other public utility vehicles are reminded to strictly follow the minimum health protocols and not to overload their vehicles with passengers or they would have to pay the P1,000 fine for the violation when they will be caught.

Paul Gotiong, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) spokesperson, said this on Monday July 5, 2021, as the CCTO intensified their random monitoring and apprehension of PUVs for overloading their vehicles.

Gotiong said that overloading of passengers should be avoided amid the noted increase in cases of COVID-19 in the city.

“We are trying to do random apprehensions in different areas based on reports given to us. We are citing them for overloading of passengers,” he said, stressing that PUVs should pay a fine of P1,000 for the violation.

Gotiong said they had already apprehended one modern PUJ which was caught overloading passengers on a video  last week.

He also aside from the penalty for overloading, they would also be working on the additional violations around the existing ordinance and the amendment of city ordinance 2566, which is the quarantine ordinance and which is still with the City Council.

He also said that all the concerned agencies including the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7), and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) should have a better coordination to control the problem.

Gotiong said that PUV drivers and conductors should help in implementing health protocols like social distancing and not to overload their vehicles with passengers.

“We would just like to remind again the PUV drivers to strictly follow the social distancing and do not overload. We understand that they are after their profit but if our cases are not controlled it can also affect their livelihood and their own safety as well as their families,” he said.

“To the conductors, since they are the ones interacting with the passengers, it would help if they reprimand passengers not wearing their mask properly and disallow standing or overloading. Passengers not following protocols can be made to go down (the vehicle) or restrict from riding,” Gotiong said.

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